


Online

by Jack Wilson-Parker (spideymerc)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, M/M, Miscommunication, Superhusbands, Superhusbands (Marvel), Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-27 22:14:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16228358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideymerc/pseuds/Jack%20Wilson-Parker
Summary: message read: 6:14pmTony stared at his phone, it's been nine hours since Steve spoke to him and Tony didn't get it; he's great at flirting, how did he manage to fuck up so badly his own husband was actually ignoring him?





	Online

**Author's Note:**

> Title may change  
> It's nearly 2am so you guys know the drill: time for a new fic when I haven't finished my last one
> 
> All mistakes are my own
> 
> NOT PART OF TRANSPARENT

Tony: Shut up

 

Steve: Make me

 

Tony: Trust me, if I was there right now I would

 

Steve: Oh really? 

 

Tony: Yes.

 

Steve: How so?

 

Tony: Well, obviously words have no effect on you

 

Steve: Obviously

 

Tony: So I'd have to go a little further than words, won't I?

 

Steve: Most definitely.

 

Tony: That'll teach you for laughing at me

 

Steve: Oh just you wait 

 

Tony: Just try. 

 

Steve: I'll still succeed

 

Tony: I highly doubt that.

 

Steve: Oh really?

 

Tony: Yes really

 

Steve: I'm good at succeeding

 

Tony: And I'm good at shutting you up

 

Steve: True, but I'll still succeed

 

Tony: You keep dreaming babe

 

Steve: A little rude sir

 

Tony: The truth hurts babe :*

 

Steve: Sure thing

 

Tony: It's almost like you don't want me to prove you wrong

 

Steve: How did you know?

 

Tony: Ouch harsh, I have another why of shutting you up, it's called: bye

 

Steve: Oh, I see how it is

 

Tony: Sorry babe, can't hear you over my ignoring you

_message read: 6:14pm_

 

Tony stared at his phone, it's been nine hours since Steve spoke to him and Tony didn't get it; he's great at flirting, how did he manage to fuck up so badly his own _husband_  was actually ignoring him?

He knew he said he was ignoring him but he was joking, that's why he sent the last message so Steve could come back with ' _not doing a very good job_ ' and Tony could then throw something back about ' _just you wait until I'm home'_  and sexting could occur and they'd both be happy.

Instead, Tony sat in his bed at the hotel, a million miles away from Steve, as he watched Steve's icon on his phone say he's active online. Tony was so desperate to message him again but what if he really was mad? What if he didn't _want_  to talk to him? What if... What if? There were so many running through Tony's head that he felt sick.

He'd been with Steve for years but they haven't been married long, only a handful of months and people have always said the first year of marriage is what makes or breaks a couple and what if this is just Steve getting bored? Tony still felt giddy whenever anyone called him Mr Stark-Rogers but he had noticed Steve didn't always share the same enthusiasm anymore... Surely this can't be it? This small bit of flirting couldn't be Steve's way out? Has marriage actually _broke them?_

Tony clicked off Steve's contact with shaky hands and dialed peppers number and pressed call. She answered on the fourth ring.

"Tony, what's up?" Pepper asked.

"I'm worried marriage has broken Steve and I and I don't know what to do." Tony rambled, he couldn't stop from blurting it all out.

"What?"

"We were flirting and it all somehow turned sour and now he's ignoring me and..."

"Hey, Tones calm down," Pepper spoke softly, "It's past 3am where you are isn't it? He's probably just stopped to let you sleep."

"It's been nine hours," Tony said. 

"Oh..." 

"So yeah, it was like five in the morning but Steve always goes for a run that early when I'm not home and _he_ started it, I wasn't worried when he didn't reply for an hour because I knew he was running but then he came back and was just... Different."

"What do you mean different?"

"I mean, I was telling him I had ways to shut him up which normally leads to some form of sexting when I say I'll blow him or some playful banter when I say I'll kiss him and he tells me I can't reach his face," Tony wiped at his eyes, "But this time there was nothing, nothing but boring words and when I said it sounded like he didn't want me to do anything he said I was right and... And..." he was crying now, "And I jokingly said bye and when he replied I said... I said 'sorry, I can't hear you over my ignoring you' and... And nothing."

"Tony, don't cry, maybe you're just reading into this too much?"

"Steve has never ignored me this long because he believes in saying I love you and making up before we fall to sleep so we don't go to bed angry but since we got married... It's like I'm still stuck in the honeymoon phase but Steve's gone and what if marrying him just put too much stress on him? They say the first year is the hardest."

"Do you want me to talk to him? See what's wrong with him?"

"No... I'm home in three days I guess I'll wait until then, he might text back?"

"Yeah, he might do and feel free to call me whenever okay?"

"Thanks Peps."

"Don't mention it, now try to get some sleep because I know you have a meeting in five hours."

"I'll do my best."

"I love you."

"I love you too." Tony hung up and dropped his phone onto the bed. He got up and started stripping from his suit, not even caring that he was leaving it all scrunched up on the floor as he made his was to the bathroom to use the loo and brush his teeth.

When he got back to bed and put his phone on charge he couldn't help but look at Steve's contact again: _active 3 minutes ago._  

Tony shut his eyes and tried not to cry.

 

*

 

Tony was back on his flight home and part of him wished he could just stay in Japan, he'd happily go to business meetings all day every day than go home to face Steve.

Three days. It's been _three days_ since Steve started ignoring him and Tony didn't know what to do. He's never, ever been this long without talking to Steve, he hasn't video called his husband since the day before the flirting that landed him in the dog house some how. He missed him, he _really_  missed him but he couldn't bring himself to message him.

He called Clint a couple of times who said Steve was perfectly fine; he was training, working, hanging out with the others. He asked if he was moping and Clint had to pause and Tony felt his heart shatter when he said ' _come to think of it, he's actually been upbeat_.' Steve was never upbeat when Tony was away which just made Tony even more terrified that he'd be greeted with divorce papers instead a welcome home kiss when he made it back to the tower.

He sent a text to Happy when they got closer to New York which asked whether Steve would be meeting him when he landed and Tony had to lock himself in the toilet for a private cry when Happy said no, but he was in strict instructions to get back to the tower as soon as he lands.

Tony felt shaky as he looked out the window, sunglasses on so nobody could see how red his eyes were. He can't remember ever crying so much, he can barely remember being so scared to go home since his dad died but Steve had that affect on him; he loved that patriotic icon more than anything, he knew he wouldn't cause a fuss if Steve wanted to leave him because Tony would do anything to make Steve happy even if it meant hurting himself. He'd give Steve the divorce he wanted and then Tony would step back from the Avengers so not to cause tension on the team.

Tony could only begin to imagine what the tabloids would spread about him, he knew Steve would be portrayed as a victim in this and he'd be accused of cheating because they're always finding something bad to pin on Tony and he'd accept that; even though Steve was the one wanting to spilt up, Tony would make sure he took the fall for it.

 

When the plane landed Tony tried to smile when Happy was there waiting for him like always, Pepper stood beside him and it was taking every ounce of Tony's self control not to burst into tears in front of his friends.

"Good flight, Tones?" Happy asked, opening the trunk for the other staff to load Tony's luggage into.

"No complaints." Tony said with a shrug.

"How are you doing?" Pepper put her hand on the small of his back.

"Still not heard from him," Tony's shoulders sagged, "Him not being here just adds to my theory that I made a huge mistake in marrying him."

"He proposed to you, he wanted this Tony."

"Obviously he never took into account how difficult it would be for him."

"Are we talking about Steve?" Happy asked, walking around to Pepper and Tony, "Because I'm under strict instructions to get you home as soon as you landed."

"Why?"

"I don't know Tones, he didn't tell me he just asked me to bring you straight back because he needed to talk to you," Tony felt his throat tighten, "I asked if he was coming to meet you and he said he had something to do."

"That's not good, oh god, he's going to _l_ _eave_  me." Tony held onto Pepper's arm, his knees feeling weak.

"Hey, Tony, you have no idea what this means," Pepper said, pulling him into a hug, "Let's just get you back so you can find out." Tony just nodded, he was scared he'd start crying if he opened his mouth.

He didn't even put up a fuss when Happy and Pepper ushered him into the back seat instead of letting him drive home.

 

*

 

Tony felt his stomach drop when he exited the lift to find the tower in darkness, everything was silent.

"JARVIS, where is everyone?" Tony asked, walking around the normally lively kitchen.

"Welcome back sir, Captain Stark-Rogers is in your private quarters and it seems the other Avengers are currently absent." Tony felt his stomach flutter.

"J, when did Steve change his name?" Tony had been wanting to change their names since before they were married but just never got round to doing it.

"Captain Stark-Rogers changed both your names to Stark-Rogers on the third day of your absence, should I have not approved?"

"Yes, that's fine, I did give him authorisation for those sorta things," Tony didn't know how to feel now. The third day of his trip was when Steve was firmly ignoring Tony, so why would he change his name to their married name? "Did you say Steve was in our private quarters?"

"Yes, sir." Tony stepped back into the lift.

"Take me to him please." the doors shut and took Tony up many floors before stopping at their suite, he stepped out and was washed in a soft glow. The lights in the sitting area weren't on fully making everything glow amber and it made Tony feel at home despite the fear still settled on his shoulders.

He walked through the sitting room and towards the kitchen which had several pots lying around in the sink waiting to be washed, but there was still no Steve. Tony didn't dare call out for him just in case this homey feeling was torn away from him.

He continued on to their private eating area, he only caught a glimpse of the candle lit table before he was engulfed in a hug that almost knocked him off his feet.

"You're home, thank god," Steve said, squeezing him that bit tighter, "I've missed you so much."

"Wait... You what?" Steve pulled back and held Tony arms length away.

"I missed you?"

"Oh."

"What do you mean by _oh_?" Steve asked, brow scrunching in confusion, "Are you still mad?"

" _Mad_?" Tony spluttered, "I thought we were getting a divorce." Stevd flinched and Tony kinda wished he didn't blurt it out so harshly.

"Do you... Do you want a divorce?" Tears filled Steve's eyes and Tony panicked, he took off his sunglasses and threw them somewhere so he could meet Steve's eyes.

"No, I don't want one, I don't think I'll ever want one," Tony put his hands on Steve's chest, fisting the material of his shirt in his fists, "I... I just thought, you haven't spoken to me in nearly a week and you've been acting a little strange lately since we got married and came off our honeymoon and they always say the first year is the hardest and it makes or breaks and I just thought that... That... That..." Oh great he was crying again, "That maybe marriage was too much for you."

"Tony, oh god," Steve moved his hands to hold his face, "I love you," Tony's shoulders sagged in relief at that, "I'm sorry for ignoring you, I did do it intentionally to start with but I was waiting for you to talk again, ya know," Steve's cheeks flushed slightly, "In case you'd start begging and I had a million ideas where that could lead... But you didn't but you were always online and after a while things just became awkward and I didn't know what to do."

"Oh..." Tony felt a little stupid for crying, "I was only online to check if you were online, I was waiting on you to tell me I was bad at ignoring you but your flirting was off and you've been funny since we came off our honeymoon, like, you just didn't seem as interested in being called my husband."

"Tony, I am so sorry," Steve kissed his forehead, "I _love_ being called your husband, I think I'm just moody because we get back off our honeymoon where it's just me and you to reality where we're both working and you're straight back onto business trips and I just want _five_ minutes with my husband, alone."

"So... You weren't ignoring me because you're bored?" Tony asked. Steve wiped his eyes.

"No, not even close."

"But Clint said you were acting really upbeat?"

"Only around them so they wouldn't know we weren't speaking because, honestly, the last thing I needed was for all them to stick their noses into our business because that always ends in making things worse nine times out of ten," Steve smiled at him, "I was absolutely miserable without you, hence the name change I hated JARVIS calling me Rogers when that's not my name anymore and you never got round to changing it."

"I can't believe I spent all this time thinking we were getting a divorce when really we both thought the other was the one doing the ignoring," Tony had to laugh, "We're so stupid."

"We are, we've missed out on valuable us time even though it would be over webcam," Steve moved one hand to the back of Tony's neck and massaged gently, "We have time to make up for it now?"

"Haven't you cooked?" Tony asked, not even bothering to break eye contact with Steve to look at the romantic meal Steve had prepared.

"So? We can reheat or order takeout later, but right now the kids are out so it's just you, me and the bed." Tony shivered and smiled.

"How could I turn down such an offer?" Tony's heart nearly beat out of his chest when Steve pressed his lips against his for the first time in a week. Steve licked his lips when they parted as if he was trying to savour every taste of Tony.

"Come on then Mr Stark-Rogers," Steve picked my Tony up bridal style, "We have a _lot_ of making up to do." Tony laughed, feeling the happiness well up inside him as he wrapped his arms around Steve's neck and bit at his jaw.

"Lead the way, Mr Stark-Rogers." 

**Author's Note:**

> The conversation is a direct extract from one of my conversations and while I struggled to understand whether they hated me or not I put all my feelings into this fic


End file.
